New jobs, expansion, incentives on the stage for Starlight Studios

Starlight Studios, a motion picture production facility that opened in 2017 near the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, has plans to expand and is taking advantage of a new state incentive program for filmmakers.

Photo courtesy Starlight Studios

The company will create five new, permanent jobs with an average annual salary of $91,000 plus benefits, according to a news release from Louisiana Economic Development. In return, Starlight can claim a 20 percent payroll tax credit.

The Entertainment Job Creation Program was created in 2017 after state lawmakers reined in generous incentives for the film industry. For jobs paying $45,000 or more annually, the employer can claim a 15 percent payroll tax credit. That credit increases to 20 percent for new jobs paying more than $66,000 a year. A similar credit was established for music-related companies.

LED said renovations to Starlight Studios’ office space and warehouses at 4301 Poche Ct. West are underway and are expected to be completed in early 2019. Starlight also plans to construct an additional soundstage and warehouse space next year, giving the company a total of 62,000 square feet of working space at three soundstages, plus 65,000 square feet of warehouse space and 28,000 square feet of office space.

The company has plans to put more than 300,000 square feet of production infrastructure at the studio, an investment of over $35 million, the news release said.

Plans for additional expansion thereafter would result in more than 300,000 square feet of production infrastructure at the studio, representing a capital investment of more than $35 million.

Starlight Studios opened with two sound stages totaling 44,000 square feet, 14,000 square feet of office space, production warehouse facilities and backlot spaces. The company received a property tax break from the city’s Industrial Development Board to help finance the first phase of development. The original package amounted to an estimated $2.5 million subsidy over 10 years.